


The Next Moment

by SierraNovembr



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Compliant, Gen, Missing Scene, POV Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Bingo 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 12:49:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18620968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraNovembr/pseuds/SierraNovembr
Summary: Time, so goddamn stubborn, no longer under their control, ticks forward.  Another second into a world without Iron Man.[For my Tony Stark Bingo square A4: Missing Scene/Epilogue/Coda.]





	The Next Moment

Steve is frozen for a long, horrible moment. It feels like every cell in his body stops and in that wretched second, he honestly doesn’t know if he wants them to start up again.

But it’s never really been about what Steve wants, has it?

Sound comes back first. Pepper’s soft crying filters in through the buzzing in his head, and Steve takes a breath so loud it tears in his chest. The air brings the smell with it, his own sweat and blood, the faint ozone of Thor beside him, and, beyond that, melted metal and _burnt_ \- 

Steve feels his gorge rise and he swallows tight against it. He’s not going to do that here. Not here, not now. He blinks, hard, clearing the tears from his eyes. He doesn’t bother to wipe them away.

Time, so goddamn stubborn, no longer under their control, ticks forward. Another second into a world without Iron Man. 

A world without Tony.

Steve takes another breath. His lungs expand. His heart beats, though he could swear it was too mangled to do so.

Thump.

Blood rushes around _his_ body. He wants to scream at his own veins. How dare it? How - 

Thump.

Another second.

 _Any second_ now and he’ll have to – to – move. 

Thump.

Thor shifts beside him, and Steve _moves_. His arm comes up, palm back, stopping Thor’s step towards Tony before he can begin.

Thump.

“The stones,” Thor whispers, so quietly that Steve can barely hear him over his useless, _stupid_ heartbeat. He doesn’t move his arm.

Thump.

Another moment. Another.

Steve shifts his weight forward on his feet.

Thump.

Takes a step.

Another moment and Steve has his hand cupped around Tony’s elbow. His breath hitches in his chest, trips, falls out his mouth on a sob.

Sounds fade out again and his vision greys along the edges. Tony’s face, so tired, so precious, is all he can see.

Steve knows he’s shaking, hard, when he brings his free hand up, because he can see his fingers jerking wildly. He doesn’t feel them. He touches Tony, gently, runs the tips of his fingers down Tony’s throat, and he can’t feel _anything_.

He doesn’t touch Tony’s face. Doesn’t run his fingers through Tony’s hair.

He bites his lip and tastes blood.

Thump.

His heart slams in his chest, knocking violently against his ribs, so close to Tony’s. So far away. A bright truth in his mind, that he would tear it out if it would bring the crumpled man beneath his trembling fingers back.

“Steve.”

Steve feels a growl rise up his throat.

“We should – “

Steve shakes his head. “No.” He feels like he’s going to boil out of his skin, but the word comes out glacial. 

Thump.

It takes several more heartbeats before he can move his hand down Tony’s ruined arm. Too many before he can look down, but what does time even matter, now? 

The world narrows further, six bright points of color in a dark wasteland.

He rests Tony’s ruined hand in his, as lightly as he can.

Words itch on his tongue. His heart beats stubbornly on.

Thump.

Thump.

He holds his breath, holds this moment as long as he can, but.

Thump.

The next moment comes. He exhales.

“Thank you.”

Another breath, hard, like a lance in his chest, but it flows out just the same.

“Thank you, Tony.”


End file.
